11 Mickiewicza Street in Katowice, Gothic Revival school building in Katowice, Poland.
The building of the Adam Mickiewicz III General Secondary School at 11 Mickiewicza Street is a three-story brick schoolhouse in Gothic Revival style with German Neo-Renaissance elements, designed by Josef Perzik or Max Grünfeld. Built of red fired brick with stone architectural details, it has a horseshoe-shaped plan, a hipped tile roof, and turrets projecting above the roofline. The front facade holds a three-opening arched portal, a stone relief with Katowice's coat of arms and the inscription "1866", and a date "Anno 1899" on the corbel cornice.
The Municipal Gymnasium was founded on 9 October 1871 on the initiative of Richard Holtze. Because pupil numbers kept rising, the city decided on 8 April 1896 to build a new home; work began in 1898 and the building was occupied on 9 October 1900. After the Silesian uprisings, a Polish state gymnasium opened here on 26 July 1922, and the school took Adam Mickiewicz's name on 13 May 1959.
The school was named after Adam Mickiewicz on 13 May 1959, and a sculpture of a "beboczka" (a Silesian water sprite) named Kasia was unveiled in front of the building on 30 May 2023. A plaque in the hall honours pupils and teachers who died in World War II. The building also houses the Alumni and Friends Association and the AWF Mickiewicz sports club.
The building functions as an active school, so visitors should approach respectfully and avoid disrupting classes or activities. It is best to admire the architecture from the outside or plan a visit during school breaks when outdoor areas are more accessible.
The front facade bears a stone relief with Katowice's coat of arms and the inscription "1866", while the cornice carries the date "Anno 1899". The building stands on several hundred wooden piles driven into marshy ground during construction in 1898.
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